bandaidman
Basic Member
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What is your favorite knife magazine? (print not electronic)
Why?
Why?
-
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Favorite knife magazine?
- Thread starter bandaidman
- Start date
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- Sep 23, 1999
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Of the mags currently under production, I like Tac Knives the ebst. Steven Dick, Larsen, Kasper, VanCook, Janich, Mroz, Randall, and so on. Look at the back ground of these fellers and you know why they write kick ass articles.
I like how they show USERS too. I like art knives and very dressy stuff too, but my preference is for the users. I like the departments like Steel Bin Street Smarts and that Sharpening one too.
I loves KI when Bud Lang was editor.
I have never seen Fighting Knives, but I hear it was a great mag. Anyone got extra issues they want to give a deprived knife nut?
I like how they show USERS too. I like art knives and very dressy stuff too, but my preference is for the users. I like the departments like Steel Bin Street Smarts and that Sharpening one too.
I loves KI when Bud Lang was editor.
I have never seen Fighting Knives, but I hear it was a great mag. Anyone got extra issues they want to give a deprived knife nut?
I am glad that I kept al of the issues that I purchased because they are still very resourceful.- Joined
- Jun 20, 2001
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- 292
Tactical Knives. Just love that mag. Also pick up a Blade every month, too.
Also, bought a copy of "Sporting Knives 2002" from B & N last night. A good soft cover book, lots of general info, and pics, etc.
Stinky
Also, bought a copy of "Sporting Knives 2002" from B & N last night. A good soft cover book, lots of general info, and pics, etc.
Stinky
stjames
Sebenzanista
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I like Blade for the variety of coverage, legal issues, latest products, listings and Ed Fowlers always great input. KI is improving every issue under Bruce V.'s hand. TK is decently written, but definitely for the martial enthusiast and not the average user or collector.
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- Oct 26, 2000
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I like them all and had a hard time choosing but gave Knives Illustrated my vote. I like their articles on maker's shops. But Blade and TK are also great. I'm debating whether to renew Knife World since they sent me a renewal notice today.
I really like Tactical Knives. I have every issue they have put out since the beginning and find myself going back and reading different ones every once in a while. I also liked the old Fighting Knives mag and still have a bunch of them put away for safe keeping. I don't look at the other knife magazines enough to really make a comment about them although I had subscription to Blade at one time.
Randall
Randall
glockman99
RIP Dann, you were a good guy.
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Tactical Knives is MY favorite. I also like Blade, but it seems to be geared more for the "knife collector", where "TK" is more for the "knife user".
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
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My preference is Blade, but lately KI has been getting a whole lot better and it now runs a close second. I also like Knife World, although I am not sure you would call it a magazine.
Since I like to read about custom knives and knife making, I don't find that Tactical Knives really has a lot that interests me. I am sure it is a good magazine, but not one that I care for.
Since I like to read about custom knives and knife making, I don't find that Tactical Knives really has a lot that interests me. I am sure it is a good magazine, but not one that I care for.
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- May 26, 2000
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Wow, this is a really charitable group! 
I'm about to do my curmudgeon routine again it would seem.
I liked the old Knives Illustrated under Bud Lang. Under Voyles, KI has veered in a direction that doesn't appeal to me as much... too much antique stuff, ancient history, etc. I dunno. I can see how people are into that, it just isn't what I enjoy reading about. But it is Voyle's forte. Not enough focus on new and established makers. Just IMHO. Not to mention the ridiculous mistakes and sloppiness, especially in those first few BV issues (3-4?). [they do seem to be improving]. I can get through these issues in under 5 minutes now, whereas I used to read nearly the whole thing under Lang.
Lang indicated he was working on getting an Internet-based mag together, but haven't heard anything in a while.
Blade is such generic pablum, I'm surprised so many of you like it. So many pages and SO little content of any substance. I've been embarassed for Shackleford and the quality of his editing and especially story lines and angles, journalistic approaches, etc. I didn't subscribe for such a long time, as there was little worth saving and I could scan it in a couple minutes on the rack and just shake my head at how generic and pandering it was, and buy the occasional issue that had anything worth saving. Whew. I subscribe now, but think hard when the renewal comes around. They also pi$sed me off back when I was getting into this hobby ... they simply couldn't be bothered to sell me any of the back issues they had laying around... I couldn't get anyone off their butts to see what they had available. I can read these in well under 5 minutes all-too-often. Heck, I at least want 5 minutes on the toilet! They oughta give Kim Breed twice the space. I get the feeling Kim doesn't like writing much... pretty short pieces, pretty choppy. And too bad Goddard is ramping down his involvement. He's a straight shooter, and often contributed solid content. Ed Fowler is usually interesting to read at least, is a truly passionate guy about knives and I appreciate that, and he sometimes contributes content I want to save.
Tactical Knives is decent... Steven Dick has his head screwed on straight and it relatively unphased by hype and trends... and after you read his articles (the ones that Steve actually authors) you get to where you can read between the lines and know what he is really thinking. I appreciate that. Past that, it's just so variable...sometimes good stuff, other times... I dunno. I realize they have to cater to their advertisers (those that fund their existence), but I'd sure like to see more hard core testing and comparisons, more from custom makers, more on actual performance out in the boonies, hard use stuff, etc. Depends on what's inside, but I end up reading maybe 1/2 of this mag...
Fighting Knives... I got into this expensive hobby right at the tail end of FK's existence. Greg Walker was just too full of himself to sustain that effort. Taking people to task, etc. The style:
"The author finds great favor with ... blahblahblah..."
"In my extensive military and fighting experience, blahblahblah..."
All those posed shots of Walker with the "luminaries".
Whatever happened to Greg Walker anyway?
[subsequently edited after a night's sleep to be less harsh: there were some good articles.]
The ideal knife mag doesn't exist, sadly. Too much of the content is so dumbed-down. Or so pandering. Or in praise of overhyped industry trends ... fanning those trendy flames rather than helping to guide them back to substance and practicality (yeah, I know flash sells more knives, that's reality... e.g. see the huge fantasy knife niche. I get paid to be objective and see through & fend off BS to find root causes and reliable, solid solutions at work, and that's kinda how I am as a person anyway, so it reflects in my views of about everything.)
I get more useable info off this forum than I do outta mags. The more you learn, the harder you have to look for new and useable info, but that's just how it goes with anything that you "get into".
Tell you what... I went back and assembled all of the old "Knives 19xx" issues, etc., the Ken Warner edited yearly compilations with articles and pics. From 1981 through 2000 when his contract expired. I got quite a bit out of those....pics of great knives and excellent but forgotten designs, some pretty good articles. That was a worthwhile effort. We'll see if the next Knives Digest [that Warner started with Voyles] improves next year.
Ok, now that I've pi$$ed all over the place, RANT OFF. Ask me over a beer sometime and I'll tell you what I REALLY think...
I'm about to do my curmudgeon routine again it would seem.
I liked the old Knives Illustrated under Bud Lang. Under Voyles, KI has veered in a direction that doesn't appeal to me as much... too much antique stuff, ancient history, etc. I dunno. I can see how people are into that, it just isn't what I enjoy reading about. But it is Voyle's forte. Not enough focus on new and established makers. Just IMHO. Not to mention the ridiculous mistakes and sloppiness, especially in those first few BV issues (3-4?). [they do seem to be improving]. I can get through these issues in under 5 minutes now, whereas I used to read nearly the whole thing under Lang.
Lang indicated he was working on getting an Internet-based mag together, but haven't heard anything in a while.
Blade is such generic pablum, I'm surprised so many of you like it. So many pages and SO little content of any substance. I've been embarassed for Shackleford and the quality of his editing and especially story lines and angles, journalistic approaches, etc. I didn't subscribe for such a long time, as there was little worth saving and I could scan it in a couple minutes on the rack and just shake my head at how generic and pandering it was, and buy the occasional issue that had anything worth saving. Whew. I subscribe now, but think hard when the renewal comes around. They also pi$sed me off back when I was getting into this hobby ... they simply couldn't be bothered to sell me any of the back issues they had laying around... I couldn't get anyone off their butts to see what they had available. I can read these in well under 5 minutes all-too-often. Heck, I at least want 5 minutes on the toilet! They oughta give Kim Breed twice the space. I get the feeling Kim doesn't like writing much... pretty short pieces, pretty choppy. And too bad Goddard is ramping down his involvement. He's a straight shooter, and often contributed solid content. Ed Fowler is usually interesting to read at least, is a truly passionate guy about knives and I appreciate that, and he sometimes contributes content I want to save.
Tactical Knives is decent... Steven Dick has his head screwed on straight and it relatively unphased by hype and trends... and after you read his articles (the ones that Steve actually authors) you get to where you can read between the lines and know what he is really thinking. I appreciate that. Past that, it's just so variable...sometimes good stuff, other times... I dunno. I realize they have to cater to their advertisers (those that fund their existence), but I'd sure like to see more hard core testing and comparisons, more from custom makers, more on actual performance out in the boonies, hard use stuff, etc. Depends on what's inside, but I end up reading maybe 1/2 of this mag...
Fighting Knives... I got into this expensive hobby right at the tail end of FK's existence. Greg Walker was just too full of himself to sustain that effort. Taking people to task, etc. The style:
"The author finds great favor with ... blahblahblah..."
"In my extensive military and fighting experience, blahblahblah..."
All those posed shots of Walker with the "luminaries".
Whatever happened to Greg Walker anyway?
[subsequently edited after a night's sleep to be less harsh: there were some good articles.]
The ideal knife mag doesn't exist, sadly. Too much of the content is so dumbed-down. Or so pandering. Or in praise of overhyped industry trends ... fanning those trendy flames rather than helping to guide them back to substance and practicality (yeah, I know flash sells more knives, that's reality... e.g. see the huge fantasy knife niche. I get paid to be objective and see through & fend off BS to find root causes and reliable, solid solutions at work, and that's kinda how I am as a person anyway, so it reflects in my views of about everything.)
I get more useable info off this forum than I do outta mags. The more you learn, the harder you have to look for new and useable info, but that's just how it goes with anything that you "get into".
Tell you what... I went back and assembled all of the old "Knives 19xx" issues, etc., the Ken Warner edited yearly compilations with articles and pics. From 1981 through 2000 when his contract expired. I got quite a bit out of those....pics of great knives and excellent but forgotten designs, some pretty good articles. That was a worthwhile effort. We'll see if the next Knives Digest [that Warner started with Voyles] improves next year.
Ok, now that I've pi$$ed all over the place, RANT OFF. Ask me over a beer sometime and I'll tell you what I REALLY think...
Rdangerer, I agree with much of what you said, but I must disagree on the subject of Fighting Knives. The magazine always imparted excellent, solid information. Sure, Mr. Walker did burn a few bridges, and piss some off, but that is good if it helps keep the industry "honest". Mr. Walker has been posting as of late, mostly in the Tactics/Training section.
KI covering antique cutlery? I'm gonna have to start reading it again.
KI covering antique cutlery? I'm gonna have to start reading it again
.- Joined
- Sep 30, 1999
- Messages
- 4,229
Blade gets my vote for one major reason-Ed Fowler.
The only other writers I enjoy there are Goddard and Breed. I dont know Steve Shackelford personally but his writing and editorial direction are way too PC and it seems that he and the rest of the staff have to kiss up to publishing giant Krause.
TK is a fairly good magazine but their raise in price to $5.99 is a joke.
KI under Bud Lang was very good. The first few issues after Voyles took over were weak, but I have to say each one seems to be improving.
IMO, Fighting Knives was the best but of course Krause bought it and buried it even though they lied and said there would be a fighting knives section every issue.
Rd, as bob said, Greg Walker's been posting here for a little while now, mostly in tactics/training.
The Knives Annuals were better when Warner did them, Levine's was better when Levine did them, Krause just has that golden touch.
Dave
The only other writers I enjoy there are Goddard and Breed. I dont know Steve Shackelford personally but his writing and editorial direction are way too PC and it seems that he and the rest of the staff have to kiss up to publishing giant Krause.
TK is a fairly good magazine but their raise in price to $5.99 is a joke.
KI under Bud Lang was very good. The first few issues after Voyles took over were weak, but I have to say each one seems to be improving.
IMO, Fighting Knives was the best but of course Krause bought it and buried it even though they lied and said there would be a fighting knives section every issue.
Rd, as bob said, Greg Walker's been posting here for a little while now, mostly in tactics/training.
The Knives Annuals were better when Warner did them, Levine's was better when Levine did them, Krause just has that golden touch.
Dave
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2000
- Messages
- 345
Bud Lang's new e-zine is at www.bladesinternational.com
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I think Dave nailed it. Krause has a huge array of "hobby" magazines and books. I suspect they do it their own way from the top down.
I would think one could direct a staff to stay within corporate boundaries while offering more substance, but we don't really know how high a hand Krause plays through the editor.
- Joined
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Originally posted by bob bowie
...Fighting Knives. The magazine always imparted excellent, solid information. Sure, Mr. Walker did burn a few bridges, and piss some off, but that is good if it helps keep the industry "honest".
I did not write anything that said content of FK wasn't decent, but I must have implied it by being such a surly a$$ in my tone. It was the style that wore on me immediately.
True, I appreciate people keeping industry honest. So point definitely taken. You have to do that with a heavily padded silk boxing glove and let the readers read between the lines.
